Wren can't Win

I feel bad for Frank Wren, General Manager of the Atlanta Braves. Over the past week, he received all kinds of criticism from many Braves fans and columnists for his unwillingness to make a big move before the trade deadline. The two teams that appear to be Atlanta's strongest competition in the National League, the Phillies and Giants, made trades to get arguably the two most coveted available players on the trade market. Meanwhile, the Braves showed interest in both players, Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence, but Frank Wren decided neither player was worth the asking price.

When Beltran was sent to San Francisco, some Braves fans were disappointed, but many understood the reasoning. Beltran could be an impact player down the stretch for the Giants, or he could be an expensive rental player for the last couple months of the season that continues to have bad knees. Many people believe Beltran is a gamble, and most logical minds believe he wouldn't have been worth the top prospects Atlanta would have sent to the division-rival Mets.

Frank Wren had a Bourn Supremacy

If there was grumbling when the Braves missed out on Beltran, there was uproar when Hunter Pence went to the Phillies. Pence appears to be a clutch player who works his tail off and does everything he can to help his team win. He gives the Phillies a right-handed hitter in their lineup and plays the corner outfield position, which makes Philadelphia that much more dangerous. Problem is - Philadelphia had to give up A LOT to get him. Trading two of the best prospects in baseball is a big deal, and it's something the Braves couldn't afford to do. Unlike Atlanta, Philadelphia sells out every home game, giving them a huge payroll and the ability to fill needs on their roster through free agency. So...instead of giving up the farm, Frank Wren stuck to his budget.

Then, Frank Wren made it happen. Sunday morning, the Braves made a deal with the Houston Astros to acquire former gold-glove center fielder Michael Bourn. Bourn can fill an immediate need in center field and take over the lead-off spot in a lineup that sorely needs someone at the top of the order. Not to mention, Bourn is one of the premiere base stealers in the game. On paper, this seems like a great move for the team and Frank Wren played his cards right. Even better, he didn't have to give up ANY of the team's top prospects to acquire Bourn. Well done!

"Bye! Sorry we didn't win anything!"

Yet, Wren is still receiving heat for his activity (or lack thereof) before the trade deadline. Some people are saying Wren is too attached to his prospects. Some believe allowing Pence and Beltran to get away to the two best teams in the National League will make it too difficult for the Braves to beat them in the playoffs. Some believe Bourn won't be enough for postseason success and Wren should have picked up more pieces. And those people might be right. Bourn might be the latest version of Mark Teixeira - Atlanta picks up the big name without getting much better while sending away surprising players who end up being major players for a championship contender. Who knows!?

The road to the World Series will be a very difficult one for the Braves. The Phillies look incredibly strong and the Giants pitching is ridiculous. But, if the Braves can't win the National League, I don't think it needs to be Frank Wren's fault. He didn't stay put at the trade deadline, nor did he panic. He made a calculated move that should help the team win this year without hurting the future of the franchise. He did exactly what he was hired to do - manage the organization. Now, let's hope it pays off on the field.

My "Teams"



J.J. Redick likes the Magic as much as I do.

As much as I enjoy following professional sports, I'm really not a die hard fan. I'll watch games, read recaps, look up stats, & follow front office decisions, but not for just "my team." I have always been a sort of sports statistical/trivia freak (it's more pathetic than cool) and I enjoy learning as much about different players and teams and leagues as I can. I'm much more passionate and loyal in college sports, following Duke basketball and Georgia football and baseball very closely, but I don't really have strong professional allegiances. In the MLB & NFL, there are certain players and teams I enjoy watching, but I don't really have a strong rooting interest in any of the games. In the NBA, I want guys that went to school at Duke to succeed and I usually pull for their teams. However, when I was younger, I was much more loyal to two specific teams.

Growing up in Roanoke, Virginia, there wasn't a local pro team to follow - in any sport. We had minor league baseball and hockey teams, but they constantly changed affiliates and no one really cared unless you went to a game. The closest teams to the area were the teams in Washington, D.C. (Redskins, Bullets/Wizards, later Nationals) & Charlotte (Hornets & Panthers). We never went to any game in Washington and my dad and I would occasionally go to Hornets games, but we weren't big fans. Instead, I became a fan of the two teams I could watch on TV all the time, the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Braves. As part of our satellite package, WGN (the Chicago station) was one of our channels, and we were able to see almost every Bulls game. And because the Braves were owned by Ted Turner, we watched nearly all of their games that were shown on TBS.

Johnny "Red" Kerr

It didn't hurt that I grew up in the Golden Era of Bulls basketball and Braves baseball. The Bulls teams of the early/mid-90's are some of the greatest in the history of the game and the Braves were dominating the National League and regularly playing in the World Series. I knew everything about the starting five for the Bulls and their second unit, and I could roll through the Braves lineup and give you the starting rotation - important priorities for a 7 year old. As I look back on it, it's funny to me that those were my teams, even though I had never seen either of them play in person.

"BRAVES WIN!"

I watched the two teams religiously on what were essentially their home tv networks and had strong loyalty. I grew up listening to Johnny "Red" Kerr announce Bulls games and Skip Caray cover the Braves. I have memories of Michael Jordan chalking his hands in front of Red Kerr before tip-off and Kerr yelling "MICHAEL" when Jordan would hit another back-breaking shot during those dominant seasons. I have memories of Skip Caray calling the masterpiece pitching performances of Maddux, Smoltz, & Glavine and announcing "BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN!" when Sid Bream slid safely into home to put the Braves into the World Series in 1992. Those are the sports memories I grew up on and part of what made me so passionate about sports. Those two announcers brought sports to life for me and made me feel like I was part of the game. Both have passed away in the last couple years, and sports broadcasting isn't the same without them. They were two of the greats and they were the two primary sports voices of my childhood.

 

I still hate the Knicks.



Even though I'd no longer consider myself a huge fan, I still want the Bulls & the Braves to do well. I was fortunate to be able to attend a number of Braves games while going to school in Athens, and the Bulls have a couple former Duke players, Luol Deng & Carlos Boozer, who are both doing well. The hatred I used to have for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, & Los Angeles Dodgers still lingers from the 90's and I hardly ever pull against the Braves or Bulls. I'm not nearly as passionate as I used to be, but those were the teams I grew up with - and, in a way, I guess they'll always be "my teams." 

Best & Worst

There have been a number of big things happening in sports over the weekend with plenty of excitement. There was the NFL Draft, the NBA Playoffs, the MLB season in full-swing, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, & much more. I haven't been glued to the TV for any of the previously mentioned events, but I have kept an eye on most of them and have a general idea of what's been happening. All that being said, I'm picking what stood out to me as the best and worst performances of the weekend. I'm completely ripping this idea from The Dan Patrick Show (by far the best sports radio show out there). So...who did and didn't get it done this weekend?

Best: Memphis Grizzlies
Who would have thought the Grizzlies would handle the Spurs with relative ease in the first round of the playoffs? They ended the series in game six on Friday night in Memphis, but they really should have closed it out in game five earlier in the week. Zach Randolph was unstoppable down the stretch for the Grizz' and they played like the more talented team. It ended an era of playoff futility for the franchise and seemed to mark the end of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty. Still, most people probably thought the celebration would end Sunday afternoon when Memphis would have to travel to Oklahoma City to take on Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Coming off the emotion of the big win Friday night and having to face a young, talented, physical team in an early start Sunday afternoon seemed like a bad spot for the Grizzlies. I guess everyone forgot to tell the Grizzlies that. They led throughout against OKC and were carried by strong post play from Randolph and Marc Gasol and have jumped out to an early series lead again. It'll be interesting to see how far they can ride this momentum. And one other thing - if I'm coaching an NBA team, I want Shane Battier. He's not going to blow you away, but he changes the culture of a locker room and his teams ALWAYS have success.

Worst: Atlanta Braves Bullpen
I don't care that they pulled out the win today, the Braves bullpen has been terrible this weekend. In the three games against the Cardinals, they have given up the lead in the 8th inning or later all three times. Are you kidding me? With all the negativity and controversy that has surrounded this pitching staff over the past week, I was hoping they would rally together and have a strong weekend on the field. The starting pitching has been very good, but the late inning guys have not done their jobs. Allowing the leadoff man to reach base has been a problem and there have been too many bad pitches to good hitters. The Cardinals are not an easy lineup to retire and Matt Holliday might be hitting the ball better than anyone in the game right now, but you have to be able to get tough outs in the 8th & 9th innings. It was thought that Jonny Venters & Craig Kimbrel would be able to shut the door in most games (and I still think they will) but this weekend will not go in their highlight tapes.